Fassona Sausage & Polenta

Ingredients

• 400 g Fassona 100% pure beef sausage, raw chilled option (2 × 200 g packs)Shop
• 160 g Instant polentaShop
• 80 g Onion, peeled and thinly sliced
• 10 ml Extra virgin olive oil
• 80 ml Dry white wine
• 2 g Fresh rosemary, left on the sprig
• 20 g Unsalted butter
• 800 ml Water for the polenta; follow the packet's liquid ratio if different
• 80 ml Water for the sausage pan
• 150 ml Hot water, reserved for adjusting consistency as needed
• 3 g Fine sea salt for the polenta
• 0.3 g Freshly ground black pepper

Method

1. 1

   1. Prepare the ingredients

   Pat the raw sausages dry, keeping their casings intact. Slice the onion thinly. Put the polenta water in a saucepan and bring it towards a boil; keep the additional water for the pan and consistency adjustments separate.

2. 2

   2. Soften the onion

   Heat the olive oil in a heavy frying pan over medium-low heat. Add the onion and cook for 5–6 minutes, stirring, until softened but not deeply coloured.

3. 3

   3. Brown the sausages gently

   Move the onion to the edges and add the sausages. Cook over medium heat for 4–5 minutes, turning carefully to colour both sides. Avoid fierce heat: lean beef sausage can dry out quickly.

4. 4

   4. Deglaze and finish cooking

   Pour in the wine and scrape up the browned juices. Let it bubble for 1–2 minutes, then add the rosemary and 80 ml water. Cover partially and simmer gently for 8–12 minutes, turning occasionally, until the sausages reach 71°C at the centre. Thickness affects timing, so check with a food thermometer. Add a little reserved hot water if the pan starts to dry.

5. 5

   5. Cook the polenta

   While the sausages simmer, add the salt to the boiling polenta water. Reduce the heat and pour in the instant polenta in a thin stream, whisking continuously. Cook for the time stated on the packet, stirring frequently with a wooden spoon. Remove from the heat and stir in the butter. Add reserved hot water in 25 ml increments if needed: the finished polenta should be soft and spoonable.

6. 6

   6. Finish and serve

   Transfer the cooked sausages briefly to a warm plate and discard the rosemary stem. If the pan juices are watery, simmer uncovered for 1–2 minutes; keep them loose enough to spoon over the polenta. Stir in the pepper. Divide the hot polenta between two warm plates, add the sausages and spoon over the onion and pan juices. Serve immediately.